Introduction

In the world of Android devices, Samsung and LG stand tall. The two companies make some of the most popular and arguably the best Android phones.

Samsung’s newest trendy phone is the Galaxy S7 Edge, a 5.5” device that does not feel as big as other devices with the same size screen, and that has a futuristic dual-curved display and a polished, stylish design.

How can LG counter this alluring new phone? Well, it’s got an ace up its sleeve as well: the 5.7” LG V10 is not as new, but it’s the latest phablet from LG and it is lauded for having one of the finest cameras you can find on a phone. It’s also got a fancy secondary screen and an interesting dual front camera system.

So does the LG V10 stand any chance against the shiny and new S7 Edge? Let’s find out.

Design

Beauty and the beast: the Galaxy S7 Edge is stylish and extremely well made, while the LG V10 feels like a crude prototype in comparison

Despite the very minimal difference in screen size, the Galaxy S7 Edge feels vastly more compact than the LG V10. Samsung has done some truly amazing work designing the S7 Edge: its screen curves towards both sides, and while that is cool, it also comes with the benefit of minimizing the bezel on the side. In fact, the S7 Edge has more the feel of your common 5.2-incher than that of a 5.5” phablet. The V10, in stark contrast, has a fairly big footprint (or should we say, handprint): its shiny metal sides stick out and make it appear super wide, much harder to use with one hand.

There is also big difference in the feel of the two: the S7 Edge with its tapered back lays naturally in the hand, as there are no sharp edges. And it feels better-made, the glass back and metal frame carry an exquisite, premium feel. The V10 with its rigged, rubbery plastic… well, let’s put it this way: it looks as elegant as a truck driver at work. It’s utilitarian and feels sturdy, but it’s not a design marvel by any stretch of the imagination. That practical approach has one benefit: you don’t need to worry about maintaining it clean and good-looking, while the S7 Edge is an absolute fingerprint magnet and if you use it without a case, you’d have to wipe it clean very, very often.

Another thing we’re left scratching our heads with is the color selection on the LG V10: the black one is nice, but Verizon’s opal blue and the international beige model appear a bit muted and bland, and feature questionable looks. The Galaxy S7 Edge comes in a choice of black, gold and silver, and those seem like a more suitable color options.

Then, there is the button feel: the very clicky and responsive buttons on the S7 Edge are in contrast with the okayish, but wobbly power/lock key on the V10.

Last, but not least: water protection! Yes, the Galaxy S7 Edge has it and it's awesome. Samsung has magically made this possible with no annoying plugs. We sit it aside playing music while in the shower and never worry about water damage. Technically, it has IP68 certification, which means that it is safe to submerge it in up to 5 feet deep water for as long as half an hour, but Samsung says it’s not meant to be used for underwater photography, but rather is there to ensure your phone won’t die on you when you accidentally drop it in water or spill something on it. The V10 lacks such water protection, hence, it’s less cool.

Display

The S7 Edge’s Super AMOLED screen looks great, while the V10 display is not bad, but colors on it appear unnaturally oversaturated.

Always-on displays

The obvious difference between the two is in the way the screen is shaped: the 5.5” S7 Edge has that very slight signature curve towards the sides, while the V10 is perfectly flat. Wait, look right above the 5.7” screen and you’ll see a tiny secondary screen that’s always on! More on it later.

First, the main screen story: 5.5” Super AMOLED on the S7 Edge meets 5.7” IPS LCD on the LG V10. Both are Quad HD panels, both are super sharp at pixel densities above 400ppi, so you won’t see jagged edges or pixelization on either. Our V10 unit has an annoying light spill coming from the top area where the dual front cameras are: it’s not a huge deal, but it’s noticeable and annoying.

Since most phones these days have sharp screens, what you really should want to know more about is how they show colors. That’s the big difference. You can find our detailed measurements below and see exactly how well balanced the colors are. The LG V10, for instance, has very unnaturally punchy, overly vivid colors that might please some, but do not conform to any popular standard. The Galaxy S7 Edge, on the other hand, is much closer to perfection. And what is perfection? Well, that’s a philosophical question, but when we speak about displays, it’s relatively well defined: the sRGB color standard, the one that is used for practically all photography and video on the web. The S7 Edge colors are well balanced, but only when you switch to the Basic screen mode (go into Settings > Display > Screen mode to do so). It has slight niggles even then with whites being a bit greenish, but it’s better than the LG V10.

The great thing about Samsung’s phones and AMOLED displays is also that they allow you to customize colors: if you like those punchy colors on the V10, you can use the adaptive screen mode on the Galaxy S7 Edge for a similar effect.

Viewing angles are very good on both devices: colors turn a bit different on the S7 Edge when you look at it from the sides, but brightness is retained very well.

The CIE 1931 xy color gamut chart represents the set (area) of colors that a display can reproduce, with the sRGB colorspace (the highlighted triangle) serving as reference. The chart also provides a visual representation of a display's color accuracy. The small squares across the boundaries of the triangle are the reference points for the various colors, while the small dots are the actual measurements. Ideally, each dot should be positioned on top of its respective square. The 'x: CIE31' and 'y: CIE31' values in the table below the chart indicate the position of each measurement on the chart. 'Y' shows the luminance (in nits) of each measured color, while 'Target Y' is the desired luminance level for that color. Finally, 'ΔE 2000' is the Delta E value of the measured color. Delta E values of below 2 are ideal.

The Color accuracy chart gives an idea of how close a display's measured colors are to their referential values. The first line holds the measured (actual) colors, while the second line holds the reference (target) colors. The closer the actual colors are to the target ones, the better.

The Grayscale accuracy chart shows whether a display has a correct white balance (balance between red, green and blue) across different levels of grey (from dark to bright). The closer the Actual colors are to the Target ones, the better.

23 Comments

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really the v10 is a super bad phone except for the camera while the s7 edge is probably the first device ever that you could call near perfect
btw i speak from my personal experience with the v10 which was the worst one i got with any gadget i bought in my entire life tbh

i also own the V10 and feel exactly opposite. i held the S7 in my hands and tried it including cam, put it back immediately as it felt just wrong - don't get me wrong, i'm not saying it's a bad phone, but no phone is better if it doesn't feel right in your hands. and i still have to come across a camera on a smartphone that i can safely say is matching the V10 (and G4)

“Over- Joyed”
Sometimes when you get surprises you are happy. But when you get the smart phones in the surprises you always feel joyed. Superb Surprise with the Oppo F1 having the best camera and 2 years of warranty.

I've owned the S7 Edge for about 2 days now, and I cant speak well enough about it. Great battery life from what I was used to fro the Moto X Pure edition. Great design, looks sleek and premium as hell! Great camera, fast, water proof, speaker isn't bad at all! I was expecting the speakers to be worse based on the reviews, but they're actually ok. This is the all around close to "perfect" in terms of design and features currently available on the market without many compromises!

Going from a G4 to an S7 I say there is no competition in these two. I've handled the V10 and my Regular S7 is leaps and bounds better than anything LG has out. The G5 will help that, but it sure is Fugly.

This was a refreshingly fair and honest head to head review. I got the V10 early on and it is by fast the best phone I've owned besides the reality that is the poor battery life. I like being able to swap out the battery yet I don't like that I'll probably have to swap out the battery. Kind of a win lose but a great feature to have none the less. The Galaxy S7 Edge is no doubt one of the best phones design wise and a serious head turner but I love the build of the V10 and I have a gorgeous skin from.www.4tified.com that gives a premium look to a rugged phone. As far as cameras go the video is seriously over compensated by the jello effect that LG hasn't quite figured out yet but shooting at 1080p or 2k and using the software stabilization remedies this. The sheer controls at my fingertips in my pocket are what makes the V10 a clear winner against any phone that doesn't have a decent sensor and similar manual capabilities. I live for the manual mode which is unmatched in actual quality. Great showdown here for once in a while.

I also have a couple skins from 4TIFIED. Which one did u get? I recently received the matte blue metallic. came with black carbon fiber camera ring. Looks soo much better and the blue metallic looks hot.

I have an Lg V10 and when over a phone store and place my V10 next to the S7 Edge, the LG V10 looks better and feel better. pa only promoting the product they like. Wait to the compare the S7 with Iphone and you will see that S7 is not as great as they said, because the like IPhone product..

The V10 is a beautiful phone, the author is exaggerating in calling it ugly or a beast. Maybe the author has tiny, dainty hands that can't handle the size of the V10. Is it big? Sure, that's not debatable, but it's comfortable to hold.

Those metal rails are very rugged and have a nice, smooth yet not slippery feel. The back, while rubbery plastic, still does not feel cheap, and the texture helps with making the phone not feel slippery.

I have nothing against Samsung, previously having owned the S2, S4 and S5. I tried the S6 and while it looked fantastic, the glass back was a fingerprint/smudge magnet and after holding it for a bit, it was just unattractive. Not to mention that glass shatters easily - why buy such a beautiful phone to put it in a case? I don't understand that mentality. Or the fascination with GLASS = PREMIUM. The rails on the V10 are strong STEEL. The phone has been built to withstand a few drops. It feels nice and durable, NOT fragile. And the V10 has a look all its own and it's extra screen is functional and useful. Can't say the same about the Edge's screen.

Bravo, couldn't agree more. The V10 is the best phone I've owned. Coming from the note 5 I agree its a fingerprint magnet and slippery. And I don't get those people who want to buy a great looking phone and then cover it with a big case. The V10 is one of the few phones you can use with out a case. Glass and metal look cheap to me and feel horrible. The silicone on the back of the V10 is perfect lots of grip. I like Samsung but didn't realize what I was missing until I owned the V10.

While I much prefer the Smasung to the LG, I do agree with the view that metal does not always = premium or quality same with glass. Nor do I agree that plastic or rubber does not equal premium. Most reviewers are biased though, first towards Apple, but also by material type and even screen size.

I own the V10. The black one. It's an amazing device. Camera is second to none so far. I went to Best Buy to check out the S7edge as I own an S6edge Plus. Wasn't really impressed. Sure it looks nice and the camera is good but it's nothing to write home about. But that's just my opinion.

Battery life of a phone when it is new means very little if the battery is sealed. All batteries loose their charge life as it ages. 12 to 18 months the battery will be significantly shorter life that is was when it was new. This deterioration is accelerated with quick charging. The v10 can pop in a new battery and be just as good as new in 15 seconds. To me this is what defines a phone as 'premium', the ability to maintain its usefulness over time.

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